Hello,
I'm looking to buy and electronic kit for home recording (Cubase) and was wondering what type of kits people would recommend. I actually don't even play drums (I'm a guitarist) but was looking to have the kit available so when drummer friends came over they could lay down beats and we could jam etc. Basically I'm looking for something that sounds good on it's own but could also trigger VSTs in Cubase. Also should feel as much like a real kit as possible etc. Essentially all things considered price vs. quality vs. playability what is a good kit to get for $1500 and under?

A friend who is a pro drummer recommended the KAT pads/kits. This one looks pretty decent and there are some good demos on YouTube too where it sounds good:

Another drummer friend and I went out to Guitar Center the other day and checked out the Roland and Yamaha kits they had there. The Rolands seemed higher quality but were quite expensive and I know there are a lot more options than just those too, but that's all Guitar Center seems to carry in stock.

Just wondering what my options were and if anyone had any suggestions.

Pads are important, but so is the module/brain that makes the sounds. Not so sure about that kit you linked. Try and go to a GC and play some of the mid-range Yamahas and Rolands. The TD-11 is in your range and would blow that white thing out of the water.

In the 80s when I was into electronics I began to ask the question, "Why does it have to be a drum-like device?" Especially in light of the fact that it doesn't play like a real set of drums anyway, there was always going to be things I couldn't play on it because it can't handle the nuance. So I found an instrument called the Zendrum ZX and that's what I played in the 90s and continue to do so today. These days my sound module is a Roland TD-10, the Zendrum is the MIDI controller. It's probably out of your price range, but I love it. You can see it at www.zendrum.com

Or for several hundred thousand more, you could get a house, an acoustic kit, some mics and some triggers for a nice permanent and versatile set up. C'mon man, don't cheap out on this one. Trust me on this. :-)

Or for several hundred thousand more, you could get a house, an acoustic kit, some mics and some triggers for a nice permanent and versatile set up. C'mon man, don't cheap out on this one. Trust me on this.

Also should feel as much like a real kit as possible etc. Essentially all things considered price vs. quality vs. playability what is a good kit to get for $1500 and under?

No e-kit feels like real drums but anything with mesh heads comes closest IMO. The Yammies will either have rubber pads (like that Kat you should stay away from) or silicone which feels like hitting a foam mattress (to me at least).
Then again people complain about the bounciness of mesh so try out as many pad types as you can before purchasing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjshooter

Pads are important, but so is the module/brain that makes the sounds. Not so sure about that kit you linked. Try and go to a GC and play some of the mid-range Yamahas and Rolands. The TD-11 is in your range and would blow that white thing out of the water.

Roland's TD-4 is discontinued, but you can find a used one cheap. The current version would be the TD-11K. Google that model number. Also check out vdrums.com forum for more info from people who own these.

Yeah, count me as a major Hart fan. One thing that I really love about mine is that they are nearly bulletproof: they have held up very well for a number of years now. They are pricey these days, though. I bought mine much earlier in the history of the company, and they were huge bang-for-the-buck leaders at the time. With a Roland TD-20 module, they work very well for tracking to MIDI.

I have somewhat limited experience, but it might help. The Alesis DM8 USB that I bought for $500 had some great sounds (100 kits!), but the trouble was the pads. On two of them, the rubber separated right off, and the kick pad just quit on me. I glued the pads back on more than once. Fortunately, I was able to return the whole kit at no cost. Next, I called a different store just for some advice. the sales guy said, "I have only one piece of advice--don't buy Alesis. If you do, it will be back here in the store with a warranty claim, and Alesis will be uncooperative, and I will have a headache!" So, I bought the Roland 11ks. I prefer the rubber pads myself, and $900 was not so bad. Bear in mind that for an extra $500-$600 the 11k will come with mesh heads, but they are small with annoying plastic edges. Didn't seem worth it. The 11ks is not my dream kit but it's a great, tough, beat-it-all-you-want kit (expanded to fourth tom, which can be split to tom/cymbal since it is dual trigger).

I've owned an Alesis DM10 Studio for 2 years now and I love it. I upgraded all the heads to mesh with cones (something Roland has a patent on) for about $100 and it feels great and tracks great with Superior Drummer 2. The only downside is the hi-hat, but don't believe anyone that tells you a lower end Roland or Yamaha will be much better -- they all only have a few open and closed sounds built in. BUT if you're using this with a VST, you will be able to access all the open and closed states available within your software of choice, since all CC# messages are transmitted.

Heck, if you are going the VST way, get the rack hardware, cymbals and pads, then hook up to a Roland TMC-6 or an Alesis IO Dock and your computer. Be warned, not all hardware is compatible with each other.

I also updated my Alesis DM10 with their Bluejay Drums soundset. Wish they came out with more of these soundsets, was a real improvement over the stock sounds, albeit a little overpriced imo. Problem is they have a deal with Pearl for the e-Pro kits, which use the same module.

If you're going for top of the line though, choose Roland or 2Box.

- Reggae Mangle

__________________"... As war machine, crushes their balls, God have mercy..."

I have also heard bad things about the quality control of the Alesis drums.

I think when you are buying electronic drums, you have to consider two things (and most new buyers skip the second one). The first is obviously playability - does it have the pads/set-up/size/feel that you find you can play comfortably on. Some people love the Roland mesh, some people love the Yamaha silicone, some like the rubber pads, some like some of these other third-party custom e-drum makers. So if you can, get into a Guitar Center or other place where they have some of these set up side-by-side and see what feels right for you.

Second, however, is the brain that powers the kit. You can get the fanciest looking kit of the bunch (and admittedly, that Alesis LOOKS nice), but if the brain that powers it is throwing off cheesy cymbals and machine-gun-sounding fast snare, what is the point? This is one reason you will hear so many people recommend Roland and Yamaha - their e-drum "brains" (aka modules) are much more powerful, dynamic, and realistic sounding. I've heard some of these low-end, inexpensive kit, and they sound like when you put a $40 Casio keyboard on the drum setting and start pressing the keys. Number and size of the pads is important, but I would rather have a Roland with their lowest end pads then some larger sweet heads that you hit and they trigger an outdated, digital sound.